Whereas, the division of the county of St. Clair into districts has not been found to give that
ease and facility to the administration of justice which was expected, and the great extent of the county would
render it almost impracticable were the courts to be held at one place only, it has, therefore, become necessary
that it should be divided and a new county erected. Now, know ye, that by virtue of the power vested in me by the
United States, I have ordered and ordained, and by these presents, do order and ordain, that all and singular,
the lands lying and being within the following boundaries, viz: Beginning at the Cave spring, a little south of
the New Design, and running thence due east to the line of the county of Knox, and thence south with that line
to the Ohio River thence with the Ohio to the Mississippi, thence with the Mississippi to the parallel of the said
Cave spring, and thence to the place of beginning, shall be a county named and hereafter to be known and called
by the name of RANDOLPH, which said county of Randolph shall have and enjoy, al land singular, jurisdiction and
rights, liberties and immunities whatsoever to a county appertaining and which any county that now is or hereafter
may be erected and laid out, shall or ought to enjoy conformably to the ordinance of Congress for the government
of the Territory northwest of the river Ohio, hearing date the 15th day of July, 1787.
In testimony, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the Territory to be affixed, at Cahokia, in the
county of St. Clair, the 5th day of October, in the year of our Lord 1795, and of the Independence of the United
States the twentieth.
ARTHUR ST. CLAIR.
(Territorial records of the Northwest Territory, St. Clair papers, Vol. 2, p. 3450
